AlmaShopping Adds Content Platform into Beauty E-Commerce Mix

Beauty e-commerce platform AlmaShopping is leveraging content to reach more consumers and expand its fast-growing community a more organic way.

Beauty e-commerce platform AlmaShopping is leveraging content to reach more consumers and expand its fast-growing community a more organic way.

“We’ve launched what we call a better version of our content platform, which is a key element for our business model, because through the content platform, what we do is to create a place of reference for beauty where women can interact, get an opinion, ask, browse and read different content, which is 100% specialized in beauty,” explained Ignacio Molins, co-founder and CEO of AlmaShopping, in an interview with PulsoSocial. “This is very important for us, because what we aim to do with our business model is, at the end of the day, to help women make better consumer decisions when it comes to beauty products.”

Comunidad AlmaShopping addresses consumers from throughout the Spanish-speaking world, though it is focused on the company’s three main markets: Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. With the platform, the team hopes to create a full value chain for its community, adding another element to its e-commerce offer and box subscription line, AlmaBox. In other words, women discover products through its content, try them with the box, and keep purchasing them on its e-commerce site.

The content platform – which Molins anticipated earlier in the year – was launched in February and remains in its beta version as functionalities and features are being added. The ultimate goal is to completely integrate content with online retail opportunities. “This is something that is very different from what standard e-commerce usually does, which is putting up products for sale and investing in Google Ads. We want to have this value-added proposition for consumers, which we believe will make them come back. It’s not only about product availability or price, but also about how easy and relevant we make the purchase,” Molins said.

AlmaShopping is shaping itself after the Birchbox model, which also puts content into the mix. The startup team believes this is a better long-term approach. Not only will it forge stronger bonds with consumers, but on an SEO level, it will help the site to rank better in search engines, meaning more traffic and, in the long run, more conversions. It is also worth noting that Alma will continue with its subscription arm – especially considering that regional competitor FancyBox recently put its box offer on the backburner.

Moving forward, AlmaShopping is entering into a consolidation phase, strengthening its presence in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. “At the end of the day, we want to build a 360 approach where we recreate the Alma experience through different channels,” Molins affirmed. Argentina is its strongest market at the moment – something the CEO attributed to credit card and internet penetration rates as well as the early arrival of platforms like Despegar and Groupon. Colombia is a step ahead in consuming content, while Mexico requires a more social focus.

In the months to come, AlmaShopping’s evolved strategy will continue to take shape. Not only does the startup have to onboard brands, but it has to reach out to beauty bloggers and content creators to join Comunidad AlmaShopping as well. And the team is confident its plan will work. “As long as you create value for consumers, it will work in the long term. Of course, we’re at a different stage than Europe or the U.S., but it’s growing stronger and stronger every day. We believe that integrating content is the future of e-commerce,” Molins concluded.

About the author

Emily Stewart

Originally from the United States. Degree in Comparative Literature & Society from Columbia University. Background in marketing and communications, including copywriting, translation, editing and content creation. Localization experience. Twitter @doblackshoe

PulsoSocial is a leading online publication covering entrepreneurship and technology in Latin America. Founded in 2008, we have built a brand to become one of the most trusted sources of tech news in the region. From emerging opportunities to new trends and innovations, we cover every aspect of the digital world as it relates to Latin America. We boast an extensive network of followers and readers from around the globe, and our platform is must-read news source for entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, developers and the entire digital community.